Having the internet at our fingertips can make it difficult to stand out among your competitors. But all the marketing campaigns and advertising dollars spent mean absolutely nothing if you can’t deliver an experience unlike the rest! In an age of quick service and automation, people are feeling an increased need to be heard. They are missing that personalized service that goes above and beyond – it’s time to do what you can to bring it back.
IMPROVING THE CUSTOMER SERVICE YOUR LAW FIRM PROVIDES
Your clients will gravitate towards the person who makes them feel the most comfortable with their case, keeps them informed, and speaks to them at a human to human level. The first place to start when upping your customer service ante is by making sure that you are keeping your client in the loop with every step.
Received their inquiry on your service? Automate an email to let them know what to expect from your firm. Completed their client intake? Send a recap and timeline of the next events. Working on their documents? Have your assistant reach out to let them know about their progress and when they will hear from you next. Communicate every detail so that your clients understand the (sometimes) scary legal processes. This makes clients more comfortable with you, but also saves you time and headache later when they aren’t blowing up your phones for answers.
TAKE YOUR COMMUNICATION ONE STEP FURTHER.
A large part of prioritizing customer service is proving that your clients can trust you. To do this, you need to go over the top with communication, organization, and professionalism. Do you answer the phone with “Hello?” or is it more like “Thank you for calling ___ Law Office, how can I assist you?” Answer this: Which one would you be more likely to trust?
Set a process in place that everyone who answers the phone must follow. I call this a Call Flow Blueprint and create one for every law firm we work with. Start by asking yourself the following questions, then put them all down to paper.
- What types of calls would you like immediately transferred to your office?
- How soon will you handle client messages?
- Can your receptionist relay quick details on their case to provide the client with some instant gratification?
- What about a timeline process that you follow so that your clients can know exactly what stage they are in and what to expect going forward?
- Is your payment schedule easy to understand?
- How do you handle scheduling for potential new clients? What about follow up appointments for existing clients?
It’s a lot of work to keep your organization in check and instill trust through your communication. But your clients will thank you for it, and to be honest, so will your bank account.
WHAT CAN YOU DO PAST SIMPLE COMMUNICATION?
A law firm isn’t a fruity place where you can offer cucumber mint water in the waiting room. Or is it? Nobody wants to need your service. If anything, they hope to avoid needing to speak to a lawyer forever. Sorry to say it but you are right there with the dreaded auto mechanic – people don’t want to have to need you. Since they do need your service and are probably unhappy about it, the least you can do is make it a more enjoyable place to spend an afternoon. Pull out the cucumber mint water, keep the magazine stack updated, and have some enjoyable music playing in the waiting room. Do what you can to make your clients feel better about needing you before they even step into your office.
THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP TO STELLAR CUSTOMER SERVICE IN YOUR LAW FIRM.
You’re communicating and you’ve freshened up your office; what’s left to create a stellar experience for your clients and potential clients? Relentless friendliness.
Negativity spreads like wildfire through social media and it is the fastest way to get bad press for your firm. Stand out instead by:
- Owning up to your mistakes.
- Asking for documents or needed information nicely.
- Apologizing when you are wrong.
- Smiling when you speak.
- Checking to be sure that your wording is coming across as friendly as possible.
Be professional but also allow your clients to view you as someone on their side. Friendliness, compassion, and understanding are the key. Emily LaRusch
